Shīʿa Sects (Kitāb Firaq al-Shīʿa)

The earliest surviving work on Shi‘i sects, Kitab Firaq al-Shi‘a by al-Nawbakhti offers a uniquely Twelver Shi‘a perspective on early Shi‘i movements, including the Zaydis, the Isma‘ilis, and extremist sects (ghulat). History, charisma, and ideology combine in a fascinating narrative which provides a window into the early Shi‘i consciousness. Extensively annotated and highly readable, this is the first translation of this work to be published in the English language. An indispensable reference for Islamic historians, theologians, and researchers.

al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Nawbakhti was a tenth-century CE theologian and philosopher in Baghdad whose most important contributions were to the field of history of religion and sects. Kitab Firaq al-Shi‘a is his only extant work.